Monday, December 26, 2011

A Conversation With Zane

From the moment Zane stepped foot in the writing game she took her place as queen of erotica. Her novels such as Addicted, Nervous, Afterburn, and the Heat Seekers will grab you from page one and wont let go until you've hit the last page and are forced to close it. Anything Zane pens turns platinum, now meet the master mind the pen.

Brandie: Now Zane, tell us what made you decide to write erotica? a lot of people are secretive once it comes to sex yet you don't have a problem writing about it why is that?

Zane: I did not choose to write erotica. That is the irony in all of this. I did not even read an erotic book until I had written Addicted and at least 60 short stories. I happen to be a very detailed writer who does not sugar coat sex scenes anymore than I sugar coat anything else. Too many people get caught up in the sexual aspects but if you really listen to what my readers say about my books, they are discussing the life lessons in them.

Brandie: What would you say are the ingredients for writing a good erotic novel?

Zane: Well I would have to say the same that are in any noel. A writer with the ability to actually write in an entertaining style, great character development, a well thought out storyline, a feasible amount of back story on the characters, and being able to tie it all together into a big knot that will touch the hearts of readers. You could write 5,000 pages of straight sex scene but most readers would be bored by page 5, no matter who the writer is.

Brandie: What will you say is the difference between the sex scenes in your novel and the sex scenes in other author's works?

Zane: I am not sure that there is a huge difference between the sex scene but I know that when I write, the sex is the least important factor. I concentrate on everything else. If my readers do not feel an attachment for my characters why would they care about them having sex?

Brandie: Some people believe your books are a little too raunchy, what do you think?

Zane: I think that if they are too raunchy for them, that they need to read something else, I do not address

criticism. As long as I understand the purpose behind my writing, that is all that matters.

Brandie: Your book The Sisters of APF got a lot of people's attention. Since you came out with the book have you heard of anyone making the sorority a reality?

Zane: I have heard of people attempting to do so but they cannot officially do it without my permission. I do know that some people have the "freak nights" like the ones in APF but APF itself belongs solely to me.

Brandie: What was your inspiration for writing Nervous?

Zane: Nervous was basked on a short story of the same name. When I first wrote the story, I initially thought it would great as an expanded novel. With Nervous, I wanted to challenge myself as a writer to see if I could portray one woman who was innocent and virginal and another who was a whore and make them share the same body. I also wanted to see if readers would show compassion toward both of them, even though the obvious first thought would be for them to hate the whore. I think that I did an effective job pulling off my intention.

Brandie: What made you decide to write lesbian erotic novels? Are people flocking to Purple Panties and Missionary No More as much as they are your other novels?

Zane: Both books have done exceptionally well and most of the readers are straight women or men. I have always written lesbian eroitca, even in some of the stories in The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth, my first book. Also, there is a lesbian relationship in Addicted so it was really nothing new, just a further step in a compilation. Passion and sensuality are universal and I publish a lot of lesbian and gay authors. We also have a male compilation called Flesh to Flesh. Thinking back, the second erotic story that I ever wrote, The Airport, had two women getting it in. LOL.

Brandie: What other projects can we expect from you? Will it be anything like Addicted or Nervous?

Zane: I will be writing the follow-up books in the Addicted series at some point and I have three other novels coming out in 2012.

Brandie: You have been writing for years, before e-reading devices came out. So what do you think about this new craze? Do you believe it is hurting or helping the literary world?

Zane: We still print a lot of books and there are still a ton of folks who are not e-readers, including myself. While I believe books will become more digital, I do know that it is killing bookstores and that is a travesty.

Brandie: What authors do you recommend people read and why?

Zane: All of the ones that I publish because I have 100% faith in them and their writing or I would not have selected their books out of tens of thousands of others over the years, spent countless hours editing their books, and put my finances behind them. I tend to pick authors who think outside of the box, have great character development, and are wonderful storytellers.

Brandie: What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Zane: Make writing a daily habit. Do it because of passion, not because of anticipated fame and fortune. For most writers, that will never come and to most who do achieve, it is not even important. The most successful writers who withstand the test of time are not driven by such things. They also should find their own voices instead of trying to emulate others. It doesn't work.